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The OraQuick test uses a treated cotton swab that is rubbed along the gums to screen for H-I-V antibodies. Health professionals just stick the swab into a special testing device and results are ready in about 20 minutes.
If the OraQuick test gives a reactive test result, that result must be confirmed with a more specific blood test.
Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson has announced government approval for the new device today in Washington.
The rapid test will no longer mean weeks of anxiety while people wait for the results. Thompson said the speed will mean more people are likely to get tested.
The test has been undergoing trials in some areas of the country for more than a year.
"Before the approval of this rapid test in November 2002, many people
being tested for HIV in public clinics did not return for the results of standard
tests," Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said. "Where
the rapid test is available, those tested get their results within minutes.
"This oral test provides another important option for people who might
be afraid of a blood test. It will improve care for these people and improve
the public health as well," he said.
This is the second rapid H-I-V test on the market but the first bloodless one. The other requires pricking a person's finger.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that one-fourth
of the approximately 900,000 HIV-infected people in the United States are not
aware that they are infected.
©365Gay.com® 2004
